From Network Engineer to Beekeeper: How Miel Charab Echifa is Sweetening Tunisia’s Export Prospects
Mohamed Bekir, a network engineer by training and the commercial director of “Miel Charab Echifa,” never initially planned to make apiculture his career. His passion for the hive deepened during his final year project, while he was completing an internship at Ooredoo. The initial income from this internship allowed him to fund a trip to Yemen to attend a congress dedicated to apiculture. “That is where the adventure began,” he tells Managers on the sidelines of the Easy Export event.
A Focus on Apitherapy and Quality Control
The company develops products derived from the hive, with a particular focus on apitherapy. Since its inception, Miel Charab Echifa has also conducted rigorous analyses on its products, specifically testing for invertase, an enzyme naturally present in honey. This activity allows the company to verify whether the honey has undergone transformations or heating processes that could alter its natural characteristics.
Initially, Mohamed Bekir’s primary objective was centered on apitherapy and the therapeutic use of honey. “Our first goal was to treat people with honey,” he explains. Exporting subsequently became another key axis of development. According to him, Tunisia possesses unique plant resources and specific flora that can serve as a competitive advantage, helping to differentiate Tunisian products and strengthen their competitiveness in foreign markets.
Easy Export: Reducing Entry Costs
Miel Charab Echifa was among the first companies to participate in the Easy Export program. The initiative has notably enabled the company to explore new markets in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Prior to this, the company had already conducted some international operations through personal initiatives, particularly towards Yemen.
According to Mohamed Bekir, a single shipping operation can cost approximately 100 Tunisian dinars. Therefore, the 50% subsidy on transportation fees provided under Easy Export represents, in his view, a crucial solution for reducing operational costs and facilitating access to export markets.
Navigating Logistical and Fiscal Challenges
The experience has also highlighted certain difficulties. It occasionally happens that a package is returned even after the sale has been completed and the customer has paid. The cause? The recipient may be required to pay taxes upon the arrival of the package. Mohamed Bekir would like these taxes to be paid upfront whenever possible, in order to minimize the risks of blockages or returns.
For Mohamed Bekir, these constraints demonstrate that access to international markets depends not only on a company’s ability to offer a quality product. Customs procedures, fiscal rules, logistical costs, and shipping modalities also weigh heavily on the decision to enter the export market. In this context, simplifying administrative procedures and reducing costs can help more small Tunisian enterprises take the leap onto the international stage.
